3-Cushion
SCHILTIGHEIM - At the finish of the group with two Koreans, Frédéric Caudron as the big favorite and Nikos Polychronopoulos and Jef Philipoom as outsiders, the main prizes were for Kyung-Roul Kim and Sung-Won Choi.
The Korean party was completed after the last match: Kyung-Roul Kim had been seeded already, Sung-Won Choi, winner of the Agipi Masters last year, defeated Frédéric Caudron in the last match of the group and joined his compatriot.
The Belgian, the leader of the Agipi team, excelled again with a high run (fifteen), but then missed the great form to beat the Korean. Caudron dominated the first part, took a lead with 7-1 and 22-9 after his run of 15, but couldn't hold the advantage. Choi answered with six and nine and led for the first time at 32-31. Thereafter he flattened his way to the finish: 38-31, 42-36 and 50-44 in 25, unstoppable as he was for Caudron.
The Korean showed his delight after his last point, like Kyung-Roul Kim did it last night after his win against Jef Philipoom. So Choi returns to the Agipi, where he keeps such a wonderful memory.
Frédéric Caudron used no apologies for his elimination: ,,I've had enough chances, I just was not good enough'', he spoke. ,,The concentration was apparently not there. I played well now and then, these days, like with the high runs, but then suddenly I lost my sense again. It is hard punished by the Koreans and of course it hurts not to be in this great tournament. But that's topsport: you can not order top form.''
Nikos Polychronopoulos and Jef Philipoom played in the same round, but it was a match which couldn't change the positions in the top three. The Greek won 50-43 in 39 innings.